Graduate (Year-Round) Intern - Industrial and Fuel Supply Optimization Modeling/Analysis

National Renewable Energy Laboratory; Colorado; On-site; USD 44,500 - 71,200; Full time

Job summary

National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, CO is offering a Graduate (Year-Round) Intern position in Industrial and Fuel Supply Optimization Modeling/Analysis. The intern will assist with data management, Python scripting, and the FINITO model, helping evaluate policy designs, R&D impacts, and energy decisions in the US industrial and fuel sectors.

Working with senior researchers, you will edit scripts, manage data workflows, visualize results with Tableau, and prepare reports for workshops

Qualifications

• Minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average.
• Undergraduate: Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a bachelor’s degree program from an accredited institution
• Post Undergraduate: Earned a bachelor’s degree within the past 12 months. Eligible for an internship period of up to one year
• Graduate: Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a master’s degree program from an accredited institution
• Post Graduate: Earned a master’s degree within the past 12 months. Eligible for an internship period of up to one year
• Graduate + PhD: Completed master’s degree and enrolled as PhD student from an accredited institution
• Applicants are responsible for uploading official or unofficial school transcripts, as part of the application process
• If selected for position, a letter of recommendation will be required as part of the hiring process
• Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date

Responsibilities

• Assist in research that generates independent, high quality, and reproducible results
• Research, acquisition, and analysis of complex datasets requiring substantial pre-processing and harmonization
• Assist in development of new data architectures to flexibly describe infrastructure systems
• Assist in executing scenarios and visualizing, analyzing, and interpreting results
• Assist senior researchers in the design, implementation, and reporting of the research project
• Contribute to technical reports, journal articles, and presentations

Skills

Python

Git

Teamwork

Education

Pursuing a PhD in economics (energy/environment)

Master's degree program enrollment

Bachelor's degree program enrollment

Tools

GAMS

Job description

Posting Title Graduate (Year-Round) Intern - Industrial and Fuel Supply Optimization Modeling/Analysis

Location CO - Golden

Position Type Intern (Fixed Term)

Hours Per Week 40

Working at NLR

NLR is located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation's primary laboratory for energy systems research and development. Join the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), where world-class scientists, engineers, and experts are accelerating energy innovation through breakthrough research and systems integration. From our mission to our collaborative culture, NLR stands out in the research community for its commitment to an affordable and secure energy future. Spanning foundational science to applied systems engineering and analysis, we focus on solving complex challenges to deliver advanced, secure, reliable, and cost-effective energy solutions. Our work helps strengthen U.S. industries, support job creation, and promote national economic growth. At NLR, you'll find a mission-driven environment supported by state-of-the-art facilities, multidisciplinary research teams, and strong collaborations with industry, academia, and other national laboratories. We offer robust professional development opportunities, and a competitive benefits package designed to support your career and well-being.

Job Description

The Integrated Modeling and Economic Analysis Group develops and applies energy and economic models to evaluate and inform the evolution of the energy system and the associated implications for the economy, environment, and society. We are looking forward to welcoming a new researcher to our team to contribute to a growing body of research evaluating alternative pathways to satisfy increasing energy demand from the US economy. Working with senior researchers, the successful candidate will assist with data management and complementary coding for the Fuels and Industry Integrated Optimization (FINITO) model—a new model simulating the evolution of the US industrial and fuel supply sectors—with applications towards a range of research topics, including: evaluation of the implications of alternative policy designs for energy technologies, evaluation of effects of research and development (R&D) driven improvements to the cost and performance of energy technologies, evaluation of how energy changes in the industrial sector would interact with other energy sectors (e.g., electricity), explore impacts of different manufacturing energy decisions on US manufacturing competitiveness. In particular, the intern will contribute to identifying, synthesizing, and implementing new data within the FINITO modeling structure; editing processing scripts; coordinating data workflow and updates; visualizing data via Tableau. In addition, the intern will assist in communication products, including presentations to deliver at workshops/conferences, technical articles for submission to peer-reviewed journals, as well as shorter written products for policy audiences. The ideal candidate will have a high level of enthusiasm to expand one’s knowledge of the energy system, learn new skills, and apply such knowledge and skills to help identify how the US can increase energy choices while decreasing environmental impacts. We welcome applicants pursuing advanced degrees from any field, but a strong applicant must have experience developing and applying python scripts and a solid background in data management and analysis.

General job duties include:

• Assist in research that generates independent, high quality, and reproducible results
• Research, acquisition, and analysis of complex datasets requiring substantial pre-processing and harmonization
• Assist in development of new data architectures to flexibly describe infrastructure systems
• Assist in executing scenarios and visualizing, analyzing, and interpreting results
• Assist senior researchers in the design, implementation, and reporting of the research project
• Contribute to technical reports, journal articles, and presentations

Basic Qualifications

• Minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average
• Undergraduate: Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a bachelor’s degree program from an accredited institution
• Post Undergraduate: Earned a bachelor’s degree within the past 12 months. Eligible for an internship period of up to one year
• Graduate: Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a master’s degree program from an accredited institution
• Post Graduate: Earned a master’s degree within the past 12 months. Eligible for an internship period of up to one year
• Graduate + PhD: Completed master’s degree and enrolled as PhD student from an accredited institution
• Applicants are responsible for uploading official or unofficial school transcripts, as part of the application process
• If selected for position, a letter of recommendation will be required as part of the hiring process
• Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date

Additional Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in code-based data management and analysis using leading coding environments: e.g., Python
• Working knowledge of industrial energy and fuels literature
• Exceptional teaming and organizational skills
• Familiarity with GAMS

Preferred Qualifications

• Working knowledge of all subsectors of the US energy system and associated markets, policies, and regulations
• Pursing a PhD in economics (with a focus on energy/environment), policy, engineering or other related field; however, we encourage applicants with training in any field to apply if they have interest and experience in the energy sector and experience with quantitative methods, especially optimization
• Familiarity with developing and applying optimization models (ideally in energy system applications) and experience with leading modeling coding environments, e.g., GAMS, MPSGE, Julia
• Experience working with git for code management in a collaborative development setting

Job Application Submission Window

The anticipated closing window for application submission is up to 30 days and may be extended as needed.

Annual Salary Range (based on full-time 40 hours per week)

Job Profile: / Annual Salary Range: $44,500 - $71,200 NLR takes into consideration a candidate’s education, training, and experience, expected quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external market and internal value, including seniority and merit systems, and internal pay alignment when determining the salary level for potential new employees. In compliance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, a potential new employee’s salary history will not be used in compensation decisions.

Benefits Summary

Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match*; and sick leave (where required by law). NLR employees may be eligible for, but are not guaranteed, performance-, merit-, and achievement- based awards that include a monetary component. Some positions may be eligible for relocation expense reimbursement. Internships projected to be less than 20 hours per week are not eligible for medical, dental, or vision benefits. * Based on eligibility rules Badging Requirement NLR is subject to Department of Energy (DOE) access restrictions. All employees must also be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card as required by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), which includes a favorable background investigation. Intern assignments extending beyond six months will be subject to this requirement.

Drug Free Workplace

NLR is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace in accordance with the federal Drug-Free Workplace Act and complies with federal laws prohibiting the possession and use of illegal drugs. Under federal law, marijuana remains an illegal drug. If you are offered employment at NLR, you must pass a pre-employment drug test prior to commencing employment. Unless prohibited by state or local law, the pre-employment drug test will include marijuana. If you test positive on the pre-employment drug test, your offer of employment may be withdrawn.

Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard basis of age (40 and over), color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic partner status, military or veteran status, national origin/ancestry, race, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding), sexual orientation, and any other applicable status protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Reasonable Accommodations

E-Verify www.dhs.gov/E-Verify For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish. E-Verify is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This business uses E-Verify in its hiring practices to achieve a lawful workforce.

Additional Information

The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for critical minerals, energy innovation, and energy security. With locations in Golden and Boulder, Colorado, Fairbanks, Alaska, and a satellite office in Washington, D.C., NLR bridges foundational research with practical applications to develop and bring to scale new energy materials and technologies that lower energy costs, drive economic growth, and deliver abundant and reliable energy. NLR is subject to Department of Energy (DOE) access restrictions. All candidates must be authorized to access the facility per DOE rules and guidance within a reasonable time frame for the specified position in order to be considered for an interview and for hiring. DOE rules for site access during the interview process depend on whether the candidate is interviewed on‑site, off‑site, or via telephone or videoconference. All employees must also be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card as required by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), which includes a favorable background investigation. Additionally, DOE contractor employees are prohibited from participating in certain Foreign Government Talent Recruitment Programs (FGTRPs). If a candidate is currently participating in an FGTRP, they will be required to disclose their participation after receiving an offer of employment and may be required to disengage from participation in the FGTRP prior to commencing employment. Any offer of employment is conditional on the ability to obtain work authorization and to be granted access to NLR by the Department of Energy (DOE).

Drug Free Workplace

NLR is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace in accordance with the federal Drug-Free Workplace Act and complies with federal laws prohibiting the possession and use of illegal drugs. Under federal law, marijuana remains an illegal drug. If you are offered employment at NLR, you must pass a pre-employment drug test prior to commencing employment. Unless prohibited by state or local law, the pre-employment drug test will include marijuana. If you test positive on the pre-employment drug test, your offer of employment may be withdrawn.